The Truth of a Flower
by Koizumi Mizuki
Summary: The world isn't such a bright and happy place if all you see is lies, but is that all there's to it? One-shot.


**Another one-shot today! This one is a bit darker than the one-shots I usually write and honestly I don't know what inspired me to write this, but it practically wrote itself.**

**I hope you like it ^^**

* * *

**The Truth of a Flower**

He was able to tell a lie from the truth. Never had anyone succeeded in deceiving him, only succeeded in making him despise them. If there was anything he hated, it was lies. People lied all the time, even about the littlest of things. When they told him they were lying for his sake, to protect him, he just scoffed and turned his back at them.

There is no such thing as a selfless lie. Lies are meant to keep a bond intact, like a bond between friends or colleagues. One doesn't simply tell their best friend that they look hideous in their new dress, even if that is what they are thinking. No, they tell them the exact opposite, out of fear to destroy the bond they have formed.

It made sense to him and yet it disgusted him. The fact that human beings could be so dishonest to their own kind was sickening, but it never stopped them from doing it. For a person who could sense when someone was lying, it was even more frustrating. Some might consider it a gift, a blessing. He, on the other hand, thought of it as nothing but a burden. Sometimes he wished he couldn't see through people's lies. The truth was bitter…and often cruel.

Down the path of red and golden leaves, he could see nothing but twigs, stones and the shadows of tall trees. There was nobody there aside from him and he liked it that way. Just hearing all those selfish bastards lie to one another made him angry. Even at home, when he was still a child, there was nothing but fabricated tales. His two-faced parents always tried to give him the idea that they cared.

He knew better than that. It was painfully obvious to him that they didn't give a damn about him, but just wanted to use him for their own plans. His mother was deceitful, charming both his father and many other men, and used them to get what she wanted. Her child was nothing but another key to a locked door to her. Whenever she tried to deceive him, he would play along.

In the end, however, she would not get what she desired. Maybe that's why she packed her bags and left without a proper goodbye. Maybe that's why his father desperately tried to pretend that her absence was only temporary and she still loved them.

_"You don't have to worry about her."_

_"Father, I don't understand how you can be so calm when your wife has abandoned you."_

_"She hasn't abandoned me…or any of us. I can assure you that she'll come back. There's no way that she can leave her son behind. Your mother loves you, Akihiko. We all love you from the bottom of our hearts."_

His father said that, not even regretting the poison of untrue words spilling from his lips. Akihiko had said nothing in reply, but ran far away from that place, no longer wanting to be involved in it all. Lying about his mother was already bad enough; being dishonest about love was downright cruel.

After the many years that had passed, Akihiko still hadn't forgiven his father for what he'd said. He had constantly dealt with the same dishonesty from other people, who pretended to care about him and not just his money or reputation. Age did not matter; young or old, people lied to him and to everyone else. It seemed as though they were all wearing a mask to hide how truly miserable they were.

Akihiko bowed his head. If everyone around him was like that, how could he be so sure if he wasn't the same? It was very well possible that he had not noticed his own mask and was just a filthy liar just like the rest of them. He was only human, and humans lied. All of them did.

"Maybe I _am_ getting depressed," he mumbled, "It must be the lack of nicotine. Either that, or I'm already starting to get old."

Cheerful had never been a word to describe Akihiko. Since he was a child, he had been quite the loner. The only friend he had was Hiroki, who occasionally lied to him. Eventually, those lies were what ruined their friendship and they never spoke to one another again.

There was nobody to be trusted. Akihiko didn't have anybody to lean on or talk to. He simply couldn't handle the untruthfulness of mankind and how everyone seemed to think that it was acceptable. If only he could find someone who didn't lie to him or tried to sugarcoat it.

Kicking a stone lying on the path, Akihiko walked and breathed in slowly. His hands were hidden in his pockets, protecting them from the chilly autumn breeze. He could hear the sound of cars in the distance, but it was interrupted by footsteps that grew louder gradually. Looking up, Akihiko spotted a child with brown hair and moss green eyes. The boy appeared to be looking at something on the ground, probably one of the brightly-colored leaves. He came to halt right before Akihiko and kneeled down to pick up an oddly colored leaf, orange with greenish dots. Then, their gazes locked.

"I'm sorry," a high-pitched voice spoke, "Am I in your way?"

"You are, but that's okay," Akihiko replied.

The child frowned and stood up, holding the leaf in both hands. Akihiko assumed that he was already judging him, a lonely man walking around in the park. He was waiting for the brunet to run off, but, much to his surprise, he did no such thing.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" the boy asked him, his round eyes full of curiosity.

"Nothing special, just taking a walk."

"I like taking walks too every once in a while, but my brother doesn't want me to go alone. The park looks really beautiful during this season; I like all the bright colors. It's even better when it's spring, because the blossoms will be blooming by then."

Akihiko was astonished by the other's reaction. "You don't think it's weird that I'm walking around a practically abandoned park?"

The boy blinked, as if he didn't understand what Akihiko was saying, and then shook his head. Staring into his eyes, Akihiko tried to discover the truth behind the child's lie, but he found none. It then occurred to him that the boy wasn't lying to him. Shocked by his discovery, Akihiko felt his heart pound loudly in his chest and his eyes widen in utter disbelief.

"Oh, I have to go now!" the child said suddenly, "If I don't, my brother will get worried about me."

"What's your name?" The question had left Akihiko's mouth before he even realized.

"It's Misaki! Takahashi Misaki." With that, the boy ran off, and Akihiko caught himself smiling.

* * *

**What did you think? Is it good or bad?**** I'd like to know!  
**

**Thank you for reading :)**


End file.
